This invention concerns a bicycle and the like with a chain transmission, multiple gears, and pedals placed on the outside of the rear wheel. This arrangement improves the function of the cyclist's organs and muscles, and consequently, the cyclist's energy output. Moreover, this invention provides a vehicle with efficient mechanical and aerodynamic characteristics and, last but not least, a vehicle that is nice to look at. The vehicle has been conceived taking into consideration that when a driver is situated in a sitting position, as is typical on a traditional bicycle, he or she is not anatomically positioned so as to realize an optimum functioning of all the organ and muscles which work in order to get a maximum output.
By carefully analyzing the traditional bicycle, we deduced that during the maximum angel-shot of the bust, the intra-abdominal viscera compression, which is due to a reduction of space in the abdominal cavity, increases the abdominal pressure and, consequently, raised the diaphragm. The so-called "Valsalva" phenomenon, which is the increase of the intra-abdominal pressure, hampers the venous return of blood from the limbs, prejudicing the hemodynamic and metabolic functions of the driver. Even an organism in very good health can endure this situation only for a short time without running into serious metabolic repercussions. By analyzing the breathing of an athlete on a traditional bicycle, we can see that raising the diaphragm (a very important breathing muscle) during the maximum bust angle-shot causes reduced pulmonary excursion, with a reduction of oxygenation, of venous and lymphatic return, and consequently, a reduction of the power efficiency. By analyzing the leg musculature and its function on traditional bicycles, we noted that part of the energy produced by the muscles is utilized to push the traction pedal and that, at the same time, it takes a considerable waste of energy to raise the other limb again. Considering the leg muscles and their functions during the pedaling phase, we noted that the traction push on the pedals is due to the M. Femoral Quadriceps, and that all of the remaining leg muscles carry out a very small function of the traction push (they mainly help raise the leg again before another traction push). For all these reasons, the traditional bicycle provides a "non-optimal" distribution of the muscular work of the limbs, thereby wasting a portion of the energy output of the leg muscles.
The advantages of the velocipede I conceived are the following: with this new bicycle, the posterior thigh muscles (Femoral Biceps, M. Half-tendinous, M. Half-membranous, M. Psoas, and partly the long adductor), working without gravitational effort, turn the energy wasted to lift the gravitational weight of the limbs during the pedaling phase into energy of traction. In addition to that, all those leg muscles, which were totally unused with the traditional bicycle, play a considerable role in respect to this new velocipede. They, in fact, optimize the push on the pedals, thanks to the function of foot extension and flexion; the legs' muscular work does not coincide, like it usually does for traditional bicycles, with the dead center of the pedaling phase, and therefore, this new vehicle allows a valid push on the pedals.
In brief, with the vehicle according to the invention, the distribution of the legs' muscular work, with respect to the action of the gravity force, undoubtedly will be more harmonious as compared to a traditional bicycle. This condition will improve the venous and lymphatic circulation thanks to a better muscular pump function, facilitating the driver's cardio-circulatory functions. These are the scientific presuppositions for the improvement that this new vehicle brings to the respiratory, muscular, and cardio-circulation apparatus.
We will now analyze the disadvantageous mechanical aspects of a traditional bicycle: the experts, trying to get the best possible performances with a pedal traction vehicle, have always concentrated their efforts, and they always will, mainly upon improvement of aerodynamic factors. From this point of view, the sitting position is another great weakness of the traditional bicycle.